Valve actuating means for hydraulic nomographic multipliers



w W 1 n W U, a W A 0 r a E r 2 a A7,. m B V? S 5 2 .U. #W m m J L w T Ds mm 3 N O n w m O Rmm ma BMW B .mn AR mm Am E m v Filed June 21, 1945 May 16, 1950 May 16, 1950 2,507,498

F. B. BROWN VALVE ACTUATING MEANS FOR HYDRAULIC Filed June 1945 .NOMOGRAPHIC MULTIPLIERS 2 Sheets et 2 0/4 Pxsssum- Francifi E Brawn.

l atented May 16,

VALVE ACTUATIN G MEANS FOR HYDRAULIC N OMOGRAPHIC MULTIPLIERS Francis B. Brown, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application June 21, 1945, Serial No. 600,775

4 Claims. (Cl. 137-139) (Granted under the act of March 3, 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 3'70 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Government for governmental purposes without the payment to of any royalty thereon.

With certain types of computing devices, such as gun fire directors, it is necessary to obtain the product of two or more variables. These variables commonly appear as changes in pressure of an actuating fluid, such as oil. To avoid needless complications, and to simplify and increase the accuracy of the computer, it is highly desirable to multiply or divide the two variables directly and to obtain the result itself in the form of an oil pressure.

Merely as an example, it is more or less conventional to obtain a value of angular deflection or lead of a gun relative to its line of sight, by multipyling the angular rate of movement of the gun by a function of range or time of flight of the projectile. In certain types of gun mounts, train and elevational movements are effected by hydraulic control in which the pressure of oil effective upon the servo-motors is substantially proportional to the rate of angular movement efiected thereby. By connecting a mechanism constructed according to my invention so that one unit thereof is directly responsive to said pressure, while another unit is subjected to a pressure proportional to range or time of flight of projectile, a product oil pressure may be obtained that may be directly applied to effect the necessary and correct lead of the gun relatively to the line of sight, without the intervention of manual adjustments. Numerous other uses will occur to those skilled in the art of computers.

It is therefore an object or" the invention to provide a calculator or computing mechanism wherein two variables are automatically multiplied and the result obtained as a fluid pressure.

Another object is to provide a computer, wherein the two variables are themselves introduced as fluid pressures.

A further object is to provide a computing instrument, as aforesaid, wherein two points of an isopleth bar are adjusted in accordance with respective logarithmic functions of the variables, while the intermediate portion of the bar controls a cam bar which, in turn, operates a pressure reducing valve in accordance with the position of said cam bar.

Another object is to provide, in combination with a computer or calculator, a novel hydraulic follow-up, whereby one portion of an isopleth bar is adjusted in accordance with a variable fluid pressure.

\ in section, showing the product unit together with the pressure controlling valve operated thereby.

Figure 4 is a View of an isopleth bar suitable for use with the computer and by which the several units interrelated, and

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic View showing the principles involved in determining the shape of the cam arms.

Referring in detail to Figure 2, a pressure responsive element ill, shown as a collapsible bellows device or sylphon is mounted upon a base i l with its interior connected to a source of variable pressure through a pipe l2. If desired, a pressure gage 13 may be connected in line l2, for calibration purposes. The bellows it] is closed at its movable end by means of a plate lila, attached to one end of a valve rod I4. A spring i5 surrounds rod i4 and urges bellows it] into collapsed, or zero pressure position, by exerting a thrust between plate Him and an adjustable abutment plug i5, threaded into an aperture in a portion lid of the frame of the instrument.

The rod is is attached to a pilot spool i8 fitting within a sleeve it that, in turn slides within valve cylinder is. As is well known in the art, cylinder 26 has three axially-spaced interior circumferential grooves 29a, 2% and 280 each adapted to align with a corresponding one of three series of circumierentially-spaced holes or slots lea, I92) and late in sleeve is. Central groove set, is connected by a pipe 2! to a source of pressure fluid, such as oil. When sleeve I9 is in the position shown at Figure 2, the space within sleeve l9, defined by the cylindrical ends of pilot spool i8, is filled with fluid under pressure. The axial dimension of these ends is only slightly greater than the corresponding dimension of holes or slots Eta and I90, so that, upon very slight movement of spool l8 upwardly, for example, pressure fluid is admitted to a pipe 22.

through holes I9a and groove 20a. Similarly, when the spool moves downwardly fluid under pressure is admitted to a pipe 23.

Pipes 22 and 23 are connected to opposite ends of a cylinder 24 of a hydraulic servo-motor 25, closed at one end by a plug 24a and at the other end by a gland 2417. A piston 26 is fitted to reciprocate 1 within cylinder 24 and has a rod 26a extending through gland 24b and attached to a cross-head 2'! that may be guided for exact reciprocation by guides 28 29. gross-head 21 carries a cam contact roller 39 and a pinZla engaging a slot in one end of an isopleth bar 3|.

A cam arm 32 is pivoted to theframe of the instrument, as at 32a, and has its other end con:- nected by a link or yoke 33, with sleeve 19 whereby said sleeve is reciprocated within cylinder 2!} as arm 32 is pivoted. Arm 32 is held in contact with roller 30, by a spring 34 engaging the arm at one end, and an adjustable abutment 35 at the other end. Said abutment may be con- {leniency adjusted by means of a screw 36threadjd are a portion" n of the frame r the tm n t In operation, an increase in pressure, for example, in pipe 12 causes a proportional expanieiiidr bellows lllfresulting in asman translation of pilot spool' l-8 upwardly to admit pressure fluid from pipe 2| to pipe 22, thus riving, piston 26 to the right. Exhaust of pressure fluid from the right end of the cylinder '24, 'takesplace by way of pipe 23 and holes [90' to a su.' np,'not

Th resulting movement of roller S B'pe'rill lbs: cam erase torise, under the influence" of 'ihhe 34, 'ie i'i e ih iv h v ee e .5 1i i b he mi e ee ei i i e e ii: 1 ed je e ieh. bet ee e i "Feed s e e hei. 911 ei fu ther fl f fl id te' y de Thus,.sleeve I9 moves at all times to follow-up $29 18. en bec use o h ee ii iiler h pe of th ee ie d e 12 i a m 3 t s t i eer head 21 and pin Zlc is proportional to the loga ithm to the b s se ect d o the re s re, eX s insrwithi t me it end. be l w it. Th mann in 'wh eh the shape o an ede 3. i dete mined, wi l he. u sequentl ex lained.-

As sh wn upo Fig re 1, tw of h units ins d c ib d, are emp oye A these uni a e pre e ahly identica in size an eh rii'e h e e: ser pt eh of, h oth hhe sler T e b i pa ts f he oth r. un h ve ee ndi ated n Fi ure 1 by. the s m r fe en e c a acte p imed, as have been usedon re s a h pip .2. and. 2 s conn t d t a separate source Q .:v i i.able pressure, it will be clear, t a the in: struriient provides two points, materialized by the pins of the respective cross-heads 2,1 and 2'! and, each adjusted from a coordinate axis b an emeunt pr po t o a t h o rithm. he. espective pressure value.

At Figure 3, I have shown in detail the product unit of my calculator. The purpose of. this unit is to detect, a value proportional to the sum of the displacements oi pins 27, and 21' and to convert said sum into a pressure having an arithmetical value equal to the product of the two press res n p pes 12. n A cross-heed 37 is guided by railsor guides 38 and 3,9 that are pref erably parallel to guides 28 and 2 9. Cross-head 31 carries a roller 40, and a pin 41 adapted tofit a central hole 3l a, Figure 4, of isopleth bar 3!.

Roller 4Q engages and determines the pivotal position of a cam arm 42, pivoted at 42a to a point on the frame ofthe instrument. Arm 42 is urged iii iiiili' i e. ehiaeijw h iieiit b m ans 75,

' teel .13 upu r i bvthe m ii theee erv sien. upon p n i! of a spring 43 engaging beneath the arm at one end and an adjustable abutment 44 at the other end. This abutment includes a screw 45 threaded into a socket portion Ilc of the instrument frame. The free end of arm 42 is connected by a link 45, with a sleeve 4'! of a valve 48. This valve may be similar in construction and operationto valve '20, previously described. It will b sufiicient, therefore, merely to identify cylinder 49, spool 50, inlet pipe 5| and outlet pipes 52 and 53.

A control or motor element for the pressureregulating valve, subsequently to be described, in Gludes a cylindrical casing 54 Within which is mounted, a pair of bellows or sylphon elements 55 and 5.6. These elements have their adjacent ends attached to a partition plate 5! that conmeets these ends for conjoint movement and also prevents the flow of fluid from one bellows to the other. Bellows 55 is in communication with pipe 53 through a cap 54a, secured to one end of casn it zi le bel ews 56 is i i eeihihi ee ieh w p p 5? h 'ev-eh e h eseeewev ii ed iihihe f le and sh d e emen .4 1 l m Plate 51 is attached to a rod 58 that enteritis e iaehe to e va e sih ii efihe t ml; is at 2.11 t me in emmimie ieh wit she ber 52a Qf Said casing. I} pipe 63 leads chamber 62a, and, if desired, may have 7 B4 ere A secon h mheh 6%? i 0 is closed by e Pl t 2 F u d i iiii f P s plied o hi ehe h r r m e Pin 6 A piatf 66. i secure ove an. Ope in 24. be am e 5211. an 5. 1% s y i e .s cellar 6 an e sc ew 5%- A valveph 5.9 s mounted upon the nd oi a stem 69% the. ether enol of said stem being attached to closure plate Bla.

A bellows In is mounted below. valve. 48;, as shown at re 3, and is sup erted. b a as 10a havina a passageway y, which the. ihte fi h the bellows is. connected to chamber 62a, thro gh a pipe H. The top of. bellows s. c osed hye late 101) again t which a sprin 12- ah ts- The p end f a d pri g en a es an ad ustm nt collar 73, threaded into. an openin in a pprtipp lid. of th instrument frame- A s em. ":4. 1% threaded into a central opening in plate lllhand at its upper. end is, threadedly conn ted. wit a stem Ella. of spool 5.3. and, securedh a r l; ljlutlfi In operati n of th precin t n t, eie srhe 3.1 s moved by the ise ih he: 31.- l h h yee over the, cam ed e mi aim! and; caps se rresp nd n mo ement hereei Supposin this movement to bev upwa td y, s eeve 4t mer accordin y re1ative1y o spool-5.4L w erebyl id under pressure from pipe 5|, is, admigtj; d tg pipe 5 and bel w 5.5- A e amehellaws. 56 and. pipe 5. a e conne ted to e li iis 30. 11511: thereby. moved.- dow wardl e. i e ce sev th ten; d. to. inner. l us ncr ase the. eii et ve ize oi the Qheh ha in valve. p a e, ,6.- Pressure. n. hambe .24. new. bu lds up nd h cre se. s. conveyed hrough pipe H to bellows 10 which expands, moving eii emmun eet en reihr e 5. tepinee l ihe e ieh i m ot eheee iihii iie i i qiiil hn iim i established With leeie 4.1-. 3!??11529915111 i olT relation and positioned relatively to cy li 49 at a new position corresponding to the setting of slide 37. At the same time plug 69 is moved to a position establishing a pressure in chamber 62a and pipe '63 that is definitel related to the new position'to which cross -head 31 has been moved.

As-will be noted from Figures 1 and 4, the cross-heads 27, 21' and 37 are connected by an isopleth bar 3! having a central bearing hole 31a fitting the pin d! on cross-head 37, and slots 3lb and 3Ic adjacent respective ends within which the pins on cross-heads 21 and 21 slide. Thus all pins are maintained in alignment and the device may function automatically for the continuous determination of pressures. It will b understood that pipes 2|, 2| and 5!, may be supplied from a common source of fluid pressure.

The method of obtaining the shape of the cam edge is the same for all arms and will be described in connection with one only.

Referring to Figure 5, the cam edge 32b is so shaped that when cross-head roller 30 is moved therealong a distance :r from point P along the end of the cam edge to point Q, the resulting upward movement of the point Q will be equal to A while, at the same time the point of pivotal connection of link 33 to the end of arm 32, will move upwardly a distance B. If C is the distance of point Q from the center of pivot 32a, and D is the distance of said pivot center from the point of connection of link 33, then the relation is such that A/B=C/D or A=BO/D. Since B is small, it may, by selecting a proper spring, be made a direct function of the oil pressure acting upon sylphon ill. D is a constant of the instrument as is obvious from Figure 5, while the distance C is, for each position of isopleth arm 3!, the valve of a: plus a constant of the instrument. Thus the cam edge is so shaped that, for each particular value of pressure in bellows l0, that is, a particular value of the dimension B, the position of roller 30 has a distance as, proportional to the logarithm to the base selected, of said dimension B. Thus, for example, if a logarithmic scale to the base selected were positioned along the path of roller 30, with its unit graduation, corresponding to zero pressure, at point P and the graduation corresponding to the logarithm of the maximum pressure to be encountered, at point R, each position of the pivot axe of roller 39 will correspond to the logarithm of the instantaneous pressure in sylphon I 0.

Thus the instrument mechanically sets up a conventional nomographic multiplier, and, in accordance with the well known operation of such devices, the pressure in chamber 62a and pipe 63 will, at all times, equal the arithmetical product of the instantaneous pressures in bellows Ill and i0. I have, therefore, provided a convenient, accurate, and relatively simple mechanism that is readily adapted to all computing instruments in which variables are introduced in the form of fluid pressure. Obviously, any reasonable number of multiplications and divisions may be efiected by properly cascading instruments such as that disclosed at Figure 1.

While I have shown my invention in the form now preferred by me, it will be clear to those skilled in this art, that changes, modifications, and substitutions of equivalents are possible, without affecting the basic principles employed. Therefore, I do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction shown but to reserve all such modifications and changes as fall within the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having now fully disclosed the invention what I wish to claim and secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A computing instrument including an arm pivoted at one end and having a logarithmic cam edge, a double acting valve having relatively translatable parts, one said part being connected with the other end of said cam arm for operation thereby, pressure responsive means connected to operate the other of said valve parts, a pressure-regulating valve, double-acting motor means connected to operate said pressure-regulating valve, fluid pressure connections whereby said first valve controls said motor in response to pivotal movement of said arm, and a fluid pressure connection between said pressure responsive means and said pressure-regulating valve.

2. A computing mechanism including a slide adapted to be positioned by an isopleth arm of said mechanism, a pivoted cam arm having a logarithmic curved edge engaging and positioned by translation of said slide, a first valve having relatively movable parts, a motor connected to be controlled by relative movement of said parts, a pressure-regulating valve connected to be controlled by said motor, and pressure responsive means connected with the variable pressure side of said pressure reducing valve and controlling one of said first valve parts, and a link connecting the end of said arm remote from its pivot with the other of said valve parts.

3. In a unit for a computing instrument, an arm pivoted at one end and having a logarithmic cam edge, a member shiftable to pivot said arm in accordance with the logarithmic function of a pressure value to be determined, a valve comprising a cylinder, a sleeve slidably fitting said cylinder and a piston slidably fitting said sleeve a double acting motor having conduits connected to said valve for control thereby, said arm being connected with said sleeve at a point removed from its pivot to actuate said sleeve to thereby control the admission of pressure fluid to said motor, a pressure regulating valve operated by said motor, and an element responsive to pressure on the reduction side of said pressure regulating valve and connected to actuate said piston to follow up movement of said sleeve.

4. In a calculating instrument, a pressure regulating valve having first and second chambers with an orifice therebetween, a first bellows responsive to pressure in said first chamber, a member operated by said bellows to vary the effective size of said orifice, a motor comprising a pair of opposed bellows, a valve spring adjusted by said opposed bellows to vary the collapsing force on said first bellows, and valve means responsive to pressure in said first chamber for controlling the flow of pressure fluid to said opposed bellows, said second chamber being adapted for connection to a source of fluid pressure.

FRANCIS B. BROWN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 20,092 Mason Sept. 1, 1936 1,077,862 Stafford Nov. 4, 1913 1,889,876 7 Pellerin et al Dec. 6, 1932 1,962,676 Albright May 12, 1934 (Other references on following page) 7 "UNITED STATES PA'IENTS {Nfifriber "2,1 17,800 -2220,17 6

Name Date Harrison May 17, 1938 Rosenberger Nov. 5, 1940 Spitzglass et a1 Nov. 5, 1940 Ziebolz etal Nov. 19, "1940 Gorrie Oct. "7, 1941 Gosslau "Sept. 13, 1942 Newell Apr. '20, 1943 Berg'es Feb. 5, 1946 8 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 291,841 Great Britain June 5, 1928 537L029 Great Britain June 1941 5 621,465 France May 12, 1927 OTHER REFERENCES Ziebolz: Belay Devices, vols. 1 @nd 2, copyright 1940, published by Askan'ia Regulator (30., 10 Chicago, Illinois. 

